Imminent Danger Pay Locations & Hostile Fire Pay Eligibility

Military members who deploy to an Imminent Danger Pay or Hostile Fire Pay zone are eligible for a $225 bonus each month. This guide explains these benefits and lists eligible locations.
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The Department of Defense (DoD) frequently reassesses and updates the areas that qualify for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP). Imminent Danger Pay is a benefit given to troops serving in locations that are deemed to be hostile or dangerous. The benefit provides troops in imminent danger areas a payment of $7.50 per day, up to the maximum monthly rate of $225.

Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) is often lumped together with Imminent Danger Pay. However, you only need to serve in the qualifying area to qualify for IDP. You must actually be exposed to hostile fire, or a hostile mine explosion event, to be eligible for Hostile Fire Pay.

While IDP is prorated based on the number of days in the month the member served in the Imminent Danger Pay location, Hostile Fire Pay is a non-prorated benefit. Members exposed to hostile fire will receive the full monthly amount of $225, regardless of the number of days they served in the area.

Members cannot receive both IDP and HFP in the same month.

Table of Contents
  1. Qualifying for Imminent Danger Pay & Hostile Fire Pay
  2. Imminent Danger Pay Locations
    1. IDP Location Notes:
  3. Tax-Exempt Combat Pay
  4. Hostile Fire Pay / Imminent Danger Pay is Added to Your Paycheck

Qualifying for Imminent Danger Pay & Hostile Fire Pay

IDP is a location and risk-based benefit. In general, the DoD considers areas where service members are at high risk or subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions. This includes exposure to gunfire, mines, rockets and mortar attacks, and similar acts of aggression.

The commander determines HFP based on whether a member is:

  • Subject to hostile fire or mine explosions
  • In an area near hostile fire or mine explosions which endanger the member
  • Killed, injured, or wounded by hostile fire, mines, or any hostile action

There are also three special situations that affect HFP/IDP. These apply to members who are:

  • Captured or missing
  • Hospitalized as a result of hostile action
  • Otherwise entitled to HFP/IDP but are missing from the area for an entire calendar month

Imminent Danger Pay Locations

The Department of Defense regularly reviews IDP locations and will, from time to time, add or remove countries from this list based on “the imminent threat of physical harm to U.S. military personnel due to civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism or wartime conditions.”

AreaIncludesEffective Dates
(From - Through)
AfghanistanLand area and airspaceNov 01, 1988
AlgeriaLand areaMar 07, 1995
Arabian Peninsula (Sea Area Adjacent to)The surface area of the following sea boundaries:
- Red Sea;
- Gulf of Aden;
- Gulf of Oman; and
- Arabian Sea:
north of 10° 00’N Latitude; and
west of 68° 00’E Longitude
Sep 19, 2001May 31, 2014
AzerbaijanLand areaJun 09, 1995
BahrainLand area and airspaceJun 13, 1997May 31, 2014
BurundiLand areaNov 29, 1996
Cameroon
- Far North
- North
Land area
Land area
Jun 07, 2017
Jun 07, 2017
ChadLand areaAug 11, 2008
ColombiaLand areaJun 01, 1985
Congo, Democratic Republic of (formerly Zaire)Land areaNov 29, 1996
Cote D’IvoireLand areaFeb 27, 2003May 31, 2020
CubaLimited to Service members performing duties within the
Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay Detention Facilities
Dec 26, 2006
DjiboutiLand areaJul 31, 2002
East TimorLand areaOct 31, 2001May 31, 2014
EgyptLand areaJan 29, 1997
EritreaLand areaJul 31, 2002May 31, 2020
EthiopiaLand areaSep 13, 1999
GreeceLand area within a 20-km radius from the center
of Athens (38° 01’ N, 23° 44’ E)
Mar 27, 2007Dec 01, 2017
HaitiLand areaNov 23, 1994May 31, 2014
IndonesiaLand areaOct 31, 2001May 31, 2014
- City of JakartaLand areaJun 01, 2014May 31, 2020
- Provinces of:
-- Central Java,
-- East Kalimantan,
-- Region of Aceh
Land area
Land area
Land area
Jun 01, 2014
Jun 01, 2014
Jun 01, 2014
May 31, 2020
May 31, 2020
May 31, 2020
- Provinces of:
-- Central Sulawesi,
-- Papua
Land area
Land area
Jun 01, 2014
Jun 01, 2014
IranLand areaNov 04, 1979
IraqLand area and airspaceSep 17, 1990
IsraelLand areaJan 31, 2002
JordanLand areaJan 29, 1997
KenyaLand areaJul 31, 2002
KosovoLand area and airspaceJun 22, 1992
KuwaitLand area and airspaceAug 06, 1990May 31, 2014
KyrgyzstanLand areaSep 19, 2001May 31, 2014
LebanonLand areaOct 01, 1983
LiberiaLand areaAug 06, 1990May 31, 2014
LibyaLand area and airspaceMar 19, 2011
MalaysiaLand areaOct 31, 2001May 31, 2014
- State of SabahLand areaJun 01, 2014
MaliLand areaFeb 05, 2013Sep 30, 2013
Jun 07, 2017
Mediterranean SeaWater area of the Mediterranean Sea extending from the
North African Coast northward into Mediterranean Sea,
bounded on the east at: 26° 00’ E longitude;
extending north to: 34° 35’ N latitude;
and extending west to: the East Coast of Tunisia
Mar 19, 2011
MontenegroLand area and airspaceJun 22, 1992May 31, 2014
NigerLand areaJun 07, 2017
OmanLand areaSep 19, 2001May 31, 2014
PakistanLand areaNov 29, 1996
Persian GulfWater area and airspaceMar 01, 1998May 31, 2014
PhilippinesLand areaOct 31, 2001Dec 31, 2015
- Mindanao, Island ofLand AreaOct 05, 2017
- Sulu Archipelago Island ofLand AreaOct 05, 2017
QatarLand area and airspaceAug 07, 1997May 31, 2014
RwandaLand areaOct 06, 1997May 31, 2014
Saudi ArabiaLand area and airspaceAug 02, 1990May 31, 2014
Saudi ArabiaLand areaSeptember 14, 2019
SerbiaLand area and airspace (includes the province of Vojvodina)Jun 22, 1992May 31, 2014
SomaliaLand area and airspaceSep 28, 1992
Somalia BasinWater area of the Somalia Basin with coordinates:
- 11° 10’N - 51° 15’E;
- 06° 00’N - 48° 30’E;
- 05° 00’N - 50° 30’E;
- 11° 30’N - 53° 34’E;
- 05° 00’N - 50° 30’E;
- 01° 00’N - 47° 00’E;
- 03° 00’S - 43° 00’E;
- 01° 00’S - 41° 00’E; and
- 06° 00’N - 48° 30’E
Dec 26, 2006
South SudanLand area and airspaceJul 09, 2011
SudanLand area and airspaceOct 04, 1993
SyriaLand areaJul 31, 2003
AirspaceSep 21, 2014
TajikistanLand areaMar 31, 1997May 31, 2014
TunisiaLand area and airspaceMar 19, 2011
*TurkeyLand area excluding the Turkish Straits
(i.e., the Dardanelles; the Sea of Marmara;
and the Bosporus Straits).
Jan 29, 1997
Airspace:
south of 37° 45’N; and
east of 43° 00’E
Mar 01, 1998
- IzmirGeographic area encompassing a
40 mile radius from the center of Izmir
Mar 01, 1998Oct 24, 2014
UgandaLand areaJan 19, 2000
United Arab EmiratesLand areaSep 19, 2001May 31, 2014
UzbekistanLand areaSep 19, 2001May 31, 2014
YemenLand areaMay 25, 1999

IDP Location Notes:

1. The designation of a land area encompasses all internal waters, unless otherwise noted. For HFP and/or IDP purposes, the term “internal waters” is defined as waters landward of the baseline, drawn in accordance with international law.

2. The designation of a water area (such as the Persian Gulf) includes the territorial seas of those waters, but not the internal waters of the coastal lands. For example, all waters of the Persian Gulf seaward of the baseline of the coastal states, drawn in accordance with international law, would be included in the Persian Gulf designation.

3. Unless otherwise specifically indicated, airspace is NOT part of the included area. When airspace is specifically included, it will normally be that space directly vertically above the approved land or sea area.

4. This figure reflects all designated areas, which were active within the last ten years.

Update: July 22, 2020. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) announced an update to include the land area of Saudi Arabia for IDP, effective September 14, 2019. This includes service members who were on a Temporary Change of Station (TCS), on Temporary Duty (TDY), and or mobilized to Saudi Arabia.

If you served in this area at any time from September 14, 2019, and forward, you should bring a copy of one of these forms to your finance office: (1) TCS/TDY mobilization orders, (2) the DD Form 1351-2, Travel Voucher or Sub voucher, and /or the (3) Defense Travel System (DTS) voucher.

Tax-Exempt Combat Pay

Many tax-exempt combat zones are eligible for Imminent Danger Pay or Hostile Fire Pay, though the lists are not identical. Some areas that are listed on the IDP/HFP list are not considered tax-free combat zones.

Hostile Fire Pay / Imminent Danger Pay is Added to Your Paycheck

HFP/IDP should be added to your paycheck once your finance office processes your orders. This will often be done as a group if you deploy as a unit. However, if it is not, you will need to take a copy of your orders to your finance office to ensure they start your HFP/IDP pay.

Keep in mind this benefit is prorated over the month, so you want to ensure you get the benefit started and stopped in a timely manner to ensure you are not overpaid for your time in country.

Finally, because this benefit may be processed manually, you may find that the payment is made out of your normal military paycheck schedule.

HFP / IDP is a tax-free military benefit.

You can find additional information within the DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 10, or on the DFAS website.


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